Lighting fixtures

ABSTRACT

A lighting fixture having a lamp housing, a lamp within the housing, and a diffuser or lens structure for enclosing the bottom of the housing can be constructed utilizing wire-like hangers or clips for supporting and mounting the diffuser. Each of such clips preferably includes two wire sides connected together at a round bottom and having a necked-down or restricted portion between its ends and a top adapted to be mounted on a support. These clips or hangers are used at the ends of the housing so that headed necks on the lens or diffuser fit within them. The sides of these clips or hangers are sufficiently resilient to allow the necked-down portions of them to be expanded to pass the headed necks in moving the lens or diffuser between a normal operating, closed position and other positions in which the interior of the fixture is accessible.

United States Patent Taylor et al. [451 Aug. 1, 1972 541 LIGHTING FIXTURES 3,303,33 2/1967- Lyon ..240/147 x [7 2] Inventors: Jack G. Taylor, West Covina; Mario Primary Examiner-John M. Horan Gallo La a both of C Assistant Examiner-Michael Harris [73] Assignee: Globe Illumination Company, v Attorney-Edward D. OBrian Gardena, Calif.

22 Filed: June 4, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT A lighting fixture having a lamp housing, a lamp [2]] App! 149992 withinthe housing,and a diffuser or lens structure forenclosing the bottom of the housing can be con- [52] us. Cl. ..240/147, 16/147, 240/78 E, structed uti i i g i e-like hangers or clips for sup- 292/17, 292/76 porting and mounting the diffuser. Each of such clips 51 161. CI ..F21v 17/00 preferably includes wire Sides connected together [58] Field 61 Search ..240/78 E, 147; 292/17, 76; at a round bottom and having a necked-down 9r 16/147 restricted portion between its ends and a top adapted to be mounted on a support. These clips or hangers 56 R f C-ted are used at the ends of the housing so that headed 1 e erences I necks on the lens or diffuser fit within them. The sides UNITED STATES PATENTS of these clips or hangers are sufficiently resilient to allow the necked-down portions of them to be exg 5% 'panded to pass the headed necks in moving the lens or l as gr diffuser between a normal operating, closed position 332$: I and other positions in which the interior of the fixture 3:288:99l 11/1966 Feig ..240/147 access'ble' 3,302,019 1/1967 Menzin ..240/ 147 5 Claims, 6 Drawing figures PATENTED 1'97? I 3,681,598

MAR/0 5. GALLQ BY I Eon A120 .0 UER/AN ATTORNEY JACK 6. TA YLO/Z,

l LIGHTING FIXTURES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many types of lighting fixtures, and in particular various types of fluorescent .fixtures are commonly mounted in or on ceilings so that lenses or diffusers used with these structures extend into a room or a room-like area. It is normally desired to construct such fixtures so that they may be serviced from the areas or regions of them which are normally enclosed by such lenses or diffusers. When fixtures are constructed in this manner it is considered that in general the aesthetic appearances of these fixtures are improved since these fixtures do not have to utilize exposed joints or the-like necessary for access purposes.

With fixtures of this type in which internal access for service and maintenance is provided by removing a lens or diffuser certain problems have been encountered. Essentially these problems have involved difficulties in mounting these lenses or diffusers in such a manner that they may be easily moved between what may be regarded as opened and closed positions. For economic reasons the means utilized for mounting these lenses or diffusers must be relatively inexpensive. It will, of course, be apparent that they must be capable of being satisfactorily used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An objective of the present invention is to provide what may be considered as new and improved lighting fixtures. More specifically the invention described in this specification is intended to teach the construction and utilization of new and improved means for connecting a lens or a difiuser to a lighting fixture so that the lens or difiuser may be maintained in a normal closed position by such means so that such means permit the lens or diffuser to be moved away from the lighting fixture as may be required for servicing and maintenance.

The present invention is also concerned with th construction of lighting fixtures employing means as indicated which may be easily'and conveniently manufactured, which, when utilized, do not interfere with normal aesthetic or other features of the lighting fixtures, which are capable of being easily and conveniently used with a minimum of difficulty and which are capable of rendering prolonged, effective reliable service.

In accordance with this invention, these and various related objectives of it are achieved by constructing a lighting fixture having a lamp housing with ends, a lamp means within the housing and a diffuser structure for closing the bottom of the housingin which the.improvement comprises at least one hanger means at each end of the housing. Each of the hanger means used has two sides defining a slot having a bottom, a top and a necked-down portion intermediate the bottom and the top. These hanger means are attached by their tops to the housing. The slots within them contain and retain headed necks on the lens structure. These hanger means permit the headed necks to be moved within the slots within them so as to secure the diffuser structure in a normal operating, closed position and other positions in which the interior of the housing is exposed through its bottom for such service and maintenance as may be required.

. 2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A summary such as the aforegoing is inherently somewhat incapable of accurately summarizing or indicating all of the features of an invention. The invention is best more fully described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which: i

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of .a presently preferred embodiment or formof a lighting fixture of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 2-2 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side-elevational' view of a hanger as used in the illustrated fixture; and

FIGS. 5 and-6 are partial cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG. 2 illustrating relative positions in gaining access to the interior of a lighting fixture as described.

It will be realized that the precise lighting fixture shown in the drawing is not the invention described in this specification in and of itself but instead shows a specific fixture embodying the intangible concepts of the present invention. These concepts are broader than a. precise specific structure ,and are set forth and defined in the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure. They may be embodied within other lighting fixtures having a somewhat different appearance than the accompanying fixture through the use or exercise of routine engineering skill.

' DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT which there is positioned a conventional fluorescent lamp 16 mounted upon sockets 18. This housing 12 includes spaced, parallel, aligned ends 20 having inwardly spaced extensions 21.

These ends 20 are provided with pairs of inwardly directed brackets 22, each having centrally located holes 24 which are adapted to receive aligned, bent over ends 26 of hangers or clips 28 as used with the invention. The construction of one of these hangers 28 is clearly illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawing. A hanger 28 in accordance with this invention is a resilient, springlike wire structure including sides 30 defining a slot 31 having a necked-down portion 32 located between a curved circular bottom 34 and the ends 26. Theseends 26 serve as ordefine a top to a hanger 28.

It will be noted that the ends 26 are not attached to one another. This permits a hanger 28 to be spread or pulled apart against the inherent resiliency of the material within it so that such a hanger 28 may be mounted on brackets 22 as shown. When so mounted the hangers 28 in the fixture 10 are capable of being rotated or pivoted in a vertical plane upwardly towards the center portion of the reflector 14. They are, however, blocked or prevented from rotating away from one another by contact with the ends 20.

The inherentresiliency of the material within the j hanger 28 is quite important with the invention. During the use of a fixture 10 as shown headed necks 36 attached to parallel ends 28 of a-difiu'ser or lens 40 are located within the slots 31'.- In this position the lens or diffuser '40 may be manipulatedv so as to slide the headed necks. 36 within these slots '31 between positions shown in'FIGS. 2 and of the drawing. In moving between these two positions the headed necks 36 will engage the necked downportions 32 so as to temporarily spring or distend the sides 30 in sucha manner as to permit the headed necks 36 to be sriapped past 3 these necked down portions 32.

P This will be the case regardless of whether or not the diffuser lens 40 is being moved from a closed, operative position as shown in FIGS. 20f the drawing to an access position of FIG. 5 of the-drawing or vice ,versa. When the headed necks 36 are in a position as indicated in FIG. 2 ofth'edrawing the diffuser or lens 40 V said diffuser structure havingends and having will be held upagainst small shoulders 42 at the ends of the reflector 14 so that the entire fixture will have a neat looking appearance. Further notches 43 in the. ex-

tensions2l will accommodate theheaded necks 36. The diffuser or lens 40 will be held in this manner because of the restricted character of the spacing between the sides 30 at the necked down portions 32. These sides 30 are sufliciently resilient so they can support the weight of the lens 40 applied to them, preventing the, headed necks 36 from moving downwardly ,within the hangers 28.

Such movement ,say, however, be easily accomplished by pulling down on the diffuser or lens 40, causin'gYthe sides 30 to temporarily-spring apart as the headed necks 36 travel to within the bottoms 34. In such a position as indicated in FIG. 5 the headed necks 36 may be slipped through the bottoms 34 so as to disconnect ordemount the diffuser or lens 40.-l-lowever, under normalcircumstances, it may bepreferred to merely disconnectone of the hangers 28 at each of the ends 20. This will permit the "diffuser or lens40 to be pivoted to abut of the way position as indicated in FIG. 6 which permits access to the interior of the fixmm 10 without the diffuser or lens 40 being completely disconnected. In order to achieve such swinging action it is necessary that the hangers 28 on the ends 20 be parallel to and aligned with one another and that the headed necks 36 on the ends 38 be aligned with one another so that a trunnion and bearing type action can be achieved.

It will be realized that the diffuser or lens 40 may be replaced in an operative position relative to the fixture 10 by a simple reversal of the operations indicated. It will be further realized that this fixture 10 is a simple, effective structure embodying concepts which achieve the various objectives of the invention indicated in the preceding discussion.

We claim:

1. A lighting fixture having a lamp housing, said housing having ends, lamp means for providing illumination located within said housing and a difiuser structure for enclosing the bottom of said housing in which the improvement comprises:

atleast one hanger means at each end of the said housing, each-of. said hangervmeans having'two- Slot,

d d fi $611235 hanger means, each having a bottom and a necked down portion and a top,

said tops of said hanger means being attached to said 2 ends of said housing so that saidslots extend vertically,

, headed necks'extending from said ends, each of said headednecks fitting within the slots in one of said hanger means, said heads on said necks preventing the removal of said'diffuser from said hanger means under normal conditions, a said necks being capable of being slid within said slots and being capable of engaging said necked down. portions so as to temporarily' spring said sides apart, allowing said headed necks to, be locatedabovesaid necked down portions so that said necked down portions by contact with said necks support said diffuser structure,

said diffuser structure fitting in a closed position relative to said housing when said headed necks ar supported by said necked down portions; I V q 2. A lighting fixture as claimed in claim! wherein: a 1

' each of said hanger means at one of said ends of said housing beingparallel to and aligned with one of said hanger means at the other of said ends of said housing, I v a each of said hanger means having an enlarged bottom of sufficient size so as to fit over the headed neck associated therewith,

said hanger means permitting said diffuser structure tobe positioned in a down position parallel to said closed position and permitting said diffuser structure to be disconnected from a hanger means on a each of said ends when in saiddown position and to be rotated about the other of said hanger means relative to said fixture when in said down position. 5. A lighting fixture as claimed inclaim 4 wherein: said hanger means are pivotally mounted on said ends of said housing so that the hanger-means at one of said ends of said housing are capablevof being pivoted towards said hanger means at the other of said ends of said housing,

said headed necks are on adjacent surfaces-of said ends of said diffuser structure, and I said hanger means and said headed necks are positioned so that when part of saidhangermeans and said headed necks are separated said diffuser structure is capable of being rotated relative to saidhousing.

a a a a a 

1. A lighting fixture having a lamp housing, said housing having ends, lamp means for providing illumination located within said housing and a diffuser structure for enclosing the bottom of said housing in which the improvement comprises: at least one hanger means at each end of the said housing, each of said hanger means having two sides defining a slot, said slots in said hanger means, each having a bottom and a necked down portion and a top, said tops of said hanger means being attached to said ends of said housing so that said slots extend vertically, said diffuser structure having ends and having headed necks extending from said ends, each of said headed necks fitting within the slots in one of said hanger means, said heads on said necks preventing the removal of said diffuser from said hanger means under normal conditions, said necks being capable of being slid within said slots and being capable of engaging said necked down portions so as to temporarily spring said sides apart, allowing said headed necks to be located above said necked down portions so that said necked down portions by contact with said necks support said diffuser structure, said diffuser structure fitting in a closed position relative to said housing when said headed necks are supported by said necked dOwn portions.
 2. A lighting fixture as claimed in claim 1 wherein: each of said slots includes a circular bottom, and said diffuser structure is capable of being pivoted relative to said housing and said hanger means when said headed necks are in said circular bottoms.
 3. A lighting fixture as claimed in claim 2 wherein: said bottoms of said hanger means are sufficiently large so as to permit said headed necks to be moved through said bottoms.
 4. A lighting fixture as claimed in claim 1 wherein: there are two of said hanger means at each of said ends of said housing, each of said hanger means at one of said ends of said housing being parallel to and aligned with one of said hanger means at the other of said ends of said housing, each of said hanger means having an enlarged bottom of sufficient size so as to fit over the headed neck associated therewith, said hanger means permitting said diffuser structure to be positioned in a down position parallel to said closed position and permitting said diffuser structure to be disconnected from a hanger means on each of said ends when in said down position and to be rotated about the other of said hanger means relative to said fixture when in said down position.
 5. A lighting fixture as claimed in claim 4 wherein: said hanger means are pivotally mounted on said ends of said housing so that the hanger means at one of said ends of said housing are capable of being pivoted towards said hanger means at the other of said ends of said housing, said headed necks are on adjacent surfaces of said ends of said diffuser structure, and said hanger means and said headed necks are positioned so that when part of said hanger means and said headed necks are separated said diffuser structure is capable of being rotated relative to said housing. 